Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Advisory Council
Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Advisory Council
A variety of stakeholders and professionals across multiple sectors and organizations who are collaborating on furthering the development and sustainability of IECMH in Montana. They include IECMH consultants, local county and state level administrators of evidence-based home visiting programs, WIC, Children's Special Health Services, early childhood education advocacy and more.
Council role
Provide advocacy, support and capacity building, exploration of tribal IECMH and a sustainability plan for the IECMH model in Montana.
Advise on the development of policies, procedures, and processes in pilot implementation and for system planning, recommend to DPHHS.
Champion the model to partners in their sphere of influence.
Advocate and promote funding and sustainability mechanisms.
| Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Jeff Regan | Eastern MT Mental Health Center (Miles City) |
| Jinell Bal, MS LCPC | Southcentral MT Mental Health Center (Billings) |
| Olivia Riutta | Montana Primary Care Association (MPCA) |
| Colleen Bosch/Traci Lyn Shinabarger | AWARE (MT Head Start State Director) |
| Tori Sporles, M. Ed | Gallatin Area Early Childhood Community Council Coordinator |
| Grey Bertsche | Raise Montana |
| Stephanie Morton | Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies |
| Hollin Buck | Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies |
| Kathy Rich | Preschool Development Grant, Birth to Five (PDG B-5) |
| Joshua Kendrick | Part C- Early Intervention, ECFSD |
| Leslie Lee | MIECHV Home Visiting, ECFSD |
| Ellie Martin, LCSW | Routefinder Consulting (private practice) |
| Daniel Champer, LCPC | Florence Crittenton, Clinical Director |
| Whitney Danz, LCSW | Private Practice |
| Brett Gilleo | Private Practice |
| Dan Carlson-Thompson | Children's Mental Health Bureau, MT Medicaid |
| Amber Bell | DPHHS Children’s Special Health Services, Family & Community Health |
| Trista Vonada/Burke, LCSW | Private Practice |
| Stephanie Iron Shooter | DPHHS Director of American Indian Health |
| Jill Christensen | DPHHS Early Childhood Services Bureau Chief |
| Brandi Loch | DPHHS Child & Family Services Division |
| Callie Parr | Zero to Five Montana |
| Nathan Stahley | MT Chapter of Natl. Assoc. of Social Workers |
| Jamie Knott, LCPC | Private Practice |
| Amie Gatterdam | Gallatin County Public Health Department |
| Flora McCormick | Sustainable Parenting |
| Mark Douglass | Montana Head Start |
| Kristi Tompers | DPHHS |
Extending from the IECMH Advisory council are three workgroups: Forest Rangers, Arborists and Quality Assurance. Each of these workgroups was formed for a specific purpose.
Forest Rangers
The Forest Rangers were a temporary workgroup established to advise on the development and implementation of the pilot model for Montana IECMH consultation. The workgroup disbanded once it helped to launch the pilot of Montana IECMH consultation with early childhood educators and caregivers.
Quality Assurance
The Quality Assurance workgroup was created to provide feedback on proposals for standardized documentation for the pilot implementation and to ensure quality assurance and improvement. The workgroup evaluates standardization of goals, documents and quality assurance processes. This workgroup is also responsible for developing goals. identifying clear outcomes for standardization and presenting recommendations to the Advisory Council and leadership.
Arborists
Responsible for a key part of establishing IECMH consultation in Montana, the Arborists workgroup responsibilities include developing a sustainability plan and determining the role of an Association for Infant Mental Health (AIMH) in Montana. Sustainability discussions were required to include specifics for financial planning. To accomplish deeper investigation on sustainability and the role of an AIMH in Montana, two discovery groups were formed: Endorsement and Alliance.
Endorsement Discovery Group
Tasked with gathering information about IECMH Endorsement® from other states including costs and benefits and presenting the information to the Arborists workgroup.
Alliance Discovery Group
Explore the role of an AIMH in other states with established models of statewide IECMH systems and gathering information to present to the Arborists workgroup.
IECMH Advisory Council’s Sustainability (Arborists) Workgroup
This group of council members and other partners focuses on determining sustainability strategies for IECMH models in Montana, specifically regarding financial planning.
| Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Colleen Bosch | AWARE, Inc. |
| Tori Sporles M. Ed | Gallatin Area Early Childhood Community Council Coordinator |
| Grey Bertsche | Raise Montana |
| Stephanie Morton | Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies |
| Hollin Buck | Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies |
IECMH Advisory Council’s Development & Implementation (Forest Rangers) Workgroup
This group has now sunset but is owed gratitude for their expertise, knowledge, time and efforts dedicated to the launch of the IECMH consultation pilot now operating in many child care sites across Montana. They advised program contractors/staff on model design; needs of consultants and child care providers; development of documents for pilot processes and procedures; and structure for a Community of Practice that supports the workforce participating in the pilot.
The group included Project LAUNCH participants – IECMH Consultants, CCR&R Director, B-5 Director, Home Visiting Director, and Child care providers.
| Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Tori Sporles, M. Ed | Child Care Connections (CCR&R) Gallatin County |
| Grey Bertsche | Raise Montana |
| Trista Vonada/Burke, LCSW | Private Practice |
| Whitney Danz, LCSW | Private Practice |
| Ellie Martin, LCSW | Routefinder Consulting (private practice) |
| Kathy Rich | Preschool Development Grant, Birth to Five (PDG B-5) |
Contact us to learn more.
Interested in the Advisory Council, workgroups or other ways to partner? Let’s talk!